Chance controlled game apparatus with apertured game board and disk with indicia visible through said apertures



July 20, 1965 MARKHAM 3,195,396

CHANCE CONTROL D GAME APPARATUS ,WITH RTURED GAME BOARD AND DISK W Filed Feb. 11, 1963 INDICIA VISIBLE THRO etl INVENTOR.

BILL MARKHAM ATTORNEYS y 0, 1965 B. MARKHAM 3,195,896

CHANCE CONTROLLED GAME APPARATUS ,WITH APERTURED GAME BOARD AND DISK WITH INDICIA VISIBLE THROUGH SAID APERTURES Filed Feb. 11, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2:

l4 5 INVENTOR.

BILL. MARKHAM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,195,896 (IHANE CGNTROLLED GAME APPARATUS W 1TH APERTURED GAME BQARD AND D2351 WITH HNDICEA VEEBLE THRGUGH SAID APERTURES Bill Marlrham, Les Angeies, Calif, assignor to Lakeside industries, ind, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 257,555 ll Claim. (Cl. 273-435) The present invention has relation to games and more particularly to an indicia association game for children which provides a great deal of entertainment.

In recent years a great number of different types of games have been devised for children. However, younger children generally are not capable of understanding the games on the market and therefore cannot be introduced to games at a very early age.

The device of the present invention, in the form as disclosed, presents a game which involves mechanical means and yet is simple enough for young children to play as soon as they can associate colors or other distractive indicia. The game provides hours of entertainment for the children and is merely a game of chance so that the younger children can win from time to time.

In addition, the game is very attractively presented and can be enjoyed by older children as well.

The game has a board or main frame which is provided with a plurality of openings in the top thereof. The openings are divided into four separate groups. A wheel is rotatably mounted with respect to the top panel and has indicia on the top surface thereof which will appear in the openings through the main frame. The indicia on the disc corresponds to indicia on pawns. Each child has a certain number of pawns and they are placed over the openings in the particular childs group when corresponding indicia appears below the opening. Each player rotates the disc in turn and the first one of the players to have all of the openings in his group covered with the pawns is the winner.

It is an object of the present invention to present a game device for young children.

It is a further object of the present invention to present a game device that is played through the use of indicia association skill.

It is a still further object of the present invention to present a game device that is simple to play and relies on having chance.

Other and further objects are those inherent in the invention herein illustrated, described, and claimed, and

will become apparent as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises features hereinafter I fully described and particularly pointed out in'the claim,

the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

The invention is illustrated by reference to the drawings in which corresponding numerals refer to the same parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a game device made according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a set of pawns utilized with the game device of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken as on line 3--3 in FIG. 1;

MG. 4 is a sectional view taken as on line 44 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as on line 55 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as on line 6-6 in FIG. 3; and

3,195,896 Patented July 20, 1965 FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken as on line 7-7 in FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings and the numerals of reference thereon, a game ill, includes a main frame 11 that has a plurality of side walls 12 supporting a substantially flat top panel 13. The top panel 13 is reinforced with a plurality of ribs 14. The ribs extend radially outwardly rom the center of the top panel 13 toward the four corners of the square top panel. The ribs support the top panel and add rigidity to it. Also the ribs divide the top panel into four sections, 15, 16, i7 and 18, respectively.

Each of the sections is provided with a plurality of openings 21 therein. As shown there are twelve openings in each of the sections. The openings 21 in each section or group are divided into three radial rows 22, 23 and 24. Each of the rows has four openings. The openings are also arranged in annular rows concentric with the center of the top surface 13. In other words, the four openings of each of the radial rows are spaced outwardly from the center of the top panel the same distance as the corresponding openings of all of the other radial rows.

The top panel 13 is provided with a center opening 25. A bearing support 26 is mounted over the opening and has an upright neck 27 in which a pair of bearings 28 are mounted. The bearings 28 rotatably mount an upright shaft 31 which drivably supports a disc or spinner 32 in position parallel to and immediately below top panel 13. A control sphiner knob 33 is drivably mounted to a top end of shaft 31 and fits over collar 27. The knob 33 has projections 34 on the outer surface thereof for convenience of grasping and spinning. The bearing support 26 is surrounded with a flange 35.

As can perhaps best be seen in FIG. 6, a wheel is drivably mounted onto a flattened portion of shaft 31 above the spinner or disc. The edge surface of the wheel 40 is provided with a plurality of deep V-shaped notches or depressions 41. A pair of leaf springs 42, 42 are mounted on pegs 43, 43 and guided through upright guides 44. The springs each have a V-shaped end portion 45 that is adapted to fit within and mate with one of the notches ll on the wheel 46. The springs have sufficient tension so that they will tend to slow the wheel down when it is turned. When the wheel stops it will come to rest with the end portions 45 of the springs in two of the notches 41.

The top portion of disc 32 is provided with a plurality of areas or spots of indicia thereon. As shown, the individual areas of indicia are either circular or elliptical and are arranged in four concentric, annular rows which are on the same radius as the four annular rows of openings on the top panel 13 of the playing board. When mounted, the indicia spots on the disc will be annularly aligned with the annular rows of openings in the top panel. Also, it will be noted that the indicia are arranged in a plurality of radial rows 41) on the disc. The relationship between the notches 51 of the wheels 4% and the indicia areas in the radial rows 46 of the disc is such that when the disc comes to rest with the end portions 45' of the springs within their respective notches 41 there will be indicia appearing through each of the openings 21 on the top panel 13. It will be noted that the disc 32 and wheel 49 are mounted on the same shaft. The indicia of each type is randomly located and as shown is comprised of seven different colors. The spots used for playing are green 64, blue 65, red 66 and orange 67. In addition there are some black spots 68, yellow spots 6%, maroon spots 76 and one maroon spot 71 with a star on it, the purpose of which will be more fully explained later. The colors are randomly arranged, with several spots of each color appearing in each of the annular rows. The maroon and yellow spots are used s for fillers having no application in the game. black spots are used for a variation in the play.

As shown in FIG. 2, each player is given a set of pawns illustrated generally at St) and corresponding in number to the number of openingsin each section of the playing board 13. The pawns correspond in color to the playing spotsrof indicia on the top of the disc (green, blue, red and orange). While color is used as the indicia in the example shown, and is perhaps the preferred indicia, it is to be understood that geometric or figure designs could also be employed, ifdesired.

The

There are twelve orange pawns 51, twelve. blue, pawns 52, twelve green pawns 53 and "twelve red pawns 54.

, 42 cal spots butthey'are slightly larger than the second annular row and the outer row 63 has spots that are As can bev seen in FIG. 7, the pawns have. a flat base 1 portion 55 which is provided with a shoulder 56. The shoulder 56 is adapted to fit within theopenings 21 so that the pawns will not'slide on the board once they are in place in the openings. In addition an upright shank 57 is provided for removing. and replacing the pawns fromtheir respective, openings. A pawn 58 is shown in place in F168. 1 and 3. I Each player selects one of the four sections (15, 16, 17 or 1%) 01 twelve openings each as his and alsoselects a set of pawns of the desired color. I

The game is played first by spinning the knob. and disc 32 until the starred spot 71 appears at the opening of one of the players. This player then is thefirst person to spin the disc in the regular game. After the first player spins and the disc comes to rest each player is entitled to cover the openings in his own section of the board under which spots have appeared which correspond to the color or indicia of 'his pawn. .In other words, the player with the orange pawns can cover'all of the, openings in his board section under which orange indicia spots have appeared; the player with green pawns covers greenspots in his section, the: player with red pawns covers the red spots in his section and'the player elliptical and even larger. This provides for slight errors in timing betwcen the notches 41 of wheel 40 and the rows of indicia.1 In other words, the lines ofspotsrnight not exactly align with the openings and indicia will still appear beneath each of the openings on the top panel 13.

Thus'through the use of a rotating disc or'spinner below atop panel and through the use of suitable indicia and'pawns, an interesting game that is within the skill or" small'childre'n'is presented. The game is chance controlled and can'have sufiiciently complex rules to provide interest for-older children as well as the very young.

The fact that more than one spot can becovered by a player at each spin of. the dial (particularly at the start of the game) .makes the game lively, fast moving and interesting. i V

What is claimed is: 1 i a Agame boarddevice comprising a substantially planar top panel, meansfor supporting said top panel in' spaced relation to a supporting surface, said top panel being provided with a plurality of openings therethrough, said openings being located in one of a plurality of concentric annular rowsand beingarranged also in radial rows and grouped into four distinct groups upright dividers on said top'ipanel, one positioned between each pair of adjacent groups of. openings, a discrotatably mounted about the axis of said concentric rows of openings, said disc being spaced below and closely adjacent said top with blue covers blue spots. Each player spins the dial in turn until one of the players has completely covered the openings in his section with his pawns. The player that covers all of his openings first then indicates'that he has completed covering his openings by a suitable signal, in the commercial form, by-calling Topper which is the trademarkused for the game,-an d this player is the winner.

If, in the'form as shown, a black spot 68 appears in" one of the openings in the. board section of the player spinning the dial, and a black spot also appears in an opening of one of the other players, the person spinning the dial can request the other'player with a black spot to remove one of his pawns. The player spinning the 61 has elliptical spots, thethird row '62 also has ellipti-. V

panel and being parallel thereto, a pluralityof spots of indicia of at least four, different types, on said disc,

said spots of indicia being arranged in annular rows'concentricwith and corresponding in diameter to the annularrows of openings, said spots of indicia also being arranged in radial rows spaced the same number of degrees'apart as'the radial rows of openings, the annular rows of spots most closelyadjacent the axis of rotation being substantially circular and the spotsin, successive annular rows increasing in ellipticityin proportion to its distance from the rotational center of the disc so that the spots are visible through the openings even if the spots are not perfectly aligned with the openings, hand grip 'meansfor manual rotation of said disc, resilient means for: stopping said disc in position with a spot visible through each of said openings, and a plurality of pawns comprising fourseparate groups, each of said groups of pawns havingiindicia thereon corresponding to one of the types: of indicia on said disc, said pawns being oisize and shape to cover said openings.

I References Citedby the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 12,191,991 2 40 Lloyd 273-136 2,720,399.1o/sss Pattyn -273 134 DELBEVRTTB. LOWE, Primary Examiner- 

